Althryth 2

Althryth ‘of Watton’ (Norfolk), fl. 1066
Female
SDB
4 of 5

Name

Althryth

Summary

Althryth was a free woman with a large manor in south Norfolk TRE assessed at 5 carucates and with a value of £4; she was also lord of fifteen sokemen holding a manor of 82 acres, also worth £4, and her estate probably included a church with 20 acres worth 20d..

Distribution map of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

List of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

Holder 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Norfolk 9,11 Watton Aldreda Althryth 'of Watton' - Roger Bigod Ranulph fitzWalter 5.00 4.00 3.50 B Map
Norfolk 9,11 Watton church - Althryth 'of Watton' - Roger Bigod Ranulph fitzWalter 0.17 0.08 0.08 C Map
Totals

Lord 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Norfolk 9,11 Watton Aldreda 15 sokemen, of Watton Althryth Roger Bigod Ranulph fitzWalter 0.68 4.00 3.50 C Map
Totals

Bibliography


Althryth 2’s estate was at Watton, on an area of raised but fairly level and fertile ground beside a minor tributary of the River Wissey in south Norfolk.  Although the details are gathered into one entry DB states that ‘the vill was in two manors TRE’, representing Althryth’s main manor and that of fifteen sokemen over whom she was presumably lord.  DB also records a church with 20 acres of land in 1086, although it is not absolutely certain that it was present when Althryth held the estate.

Althryth’s manor was predominantly arable, with four ploughs on her demesne and another four on the land of the peasant population; these latter comprised nine villans and 11 bordars with their households and, together with three slaves, provided the manor’s workforce.  There were 30 acres of meadow, presumably along the stream where Althryth had her water-mill, and as well as the oxen required for the plough-teams there were a few cattle and sheep.  There was also a substantial area of woodland, more than enough to provide pannage for her small herd of pigs, and DB also records three horses (runcinus ‘rouncy’) present that may have been pack animals.

The manor of Althryth’s sokemen was tiny in terms of its assessed extent of 82 acres yet there were four ploughs there and, like her main manor, it was worth £4 TRE.  No further details of resources or population are given in DB and it was presumably arable land worked by the sokemen themselves.

DB describes Althryth 2 as a free woman and it is unusual (but not exceptional) to find a woman holding a large estate such as Watton apparently in her own right, so it is possible that she was a widow.  Her estate lay at least 70 miles from that of any other woman with a similar name TRE and there is no reason to consider Althryth 2 in connection with anyone else.